On The Table

A collection of knowledge-based articles to inspire overall wellness.

Best Meals (& Snacks) of 2018

You voted, we listened, and the Second Annual Golden Fork Awards are revealed! Find out how your favorite bistroMD meals and snacks stacked up!

Best Meals (& Snacks) of 2018

You voted, we listened, and the Second Annual Golden Fork Awards are revealed! Did your favorites win? Let’s dig right in and find out!

The Best Meals and Snacks of 2018

Best Chicken Entrée: Chicken with Lemon Peppercorn Sauce

"I had the chicken with lemon peppercorn sauce for dinner and it was really good. The chicken was tender, juicy and flavorful. This is by far the best meal I have had yet on the plan," says David K. of Indiana.

And voters agreed the tenderness, juiciness, and creaminess of chicken with lemon peppercorn sauce dish deserved the fork for the Best Chicken Entrée!

Calories: 350 | Total Fat: 14g | Total Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 6g | Protein: 30g

Best Beef Entrée: Hickory Smoked BBQ Beef with Yukon Gold Potatoes

This long-time favorite has been enjoyed by fans for years, so it was only time to give this extraordinary dish the recognition that it deserves!

The Best Beef Entrée of 2018 goes to… Hickory smoked BBQ beef with Yukon gold potatoes!

So humble. So tasty. So adored. Never underestimate the simplicity of good BBQ!

Calories: 380 | Total Fat: 8g | Total Carbs: 35g | Fiber: 5g | Protein: 41g

Best in Sea: Grilled Salmon with Dill Mustard Sauce

While they are all deserving, only one dish can take the fork… But with just the right amount of spice, it is not so shocking why everyone is hooked on this dish!

Yep, the grilled salmon with dill mustard sauce is quite the catch and winner of the Best in Sea!

And Marcheta D. of Virginia agrees, "Salmon with dill mustard sauce was excellent! I haven't had salmon that hasn't been great since starting the program."

Calories: 310 | Total Fat: 6g | Total Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 6g | Protein: 37g

Best Breakfast: Artichoke, Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata

Because how could we forget breakfast? We believe in eating and living well and there is no better way to start each day off by enjoying a nutritious and delicious morning meal!

But which cherished breakfast saved the day right from the start? Out of all our breakfasts in 2018, this artichoke, spinach and roasted red pepper frittata shined brighter than all the rest!

Calories: 280 | Total Fat: 11g | Total Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 1g | Protein: 27g

Hottest Soup: Beef Chipotle Chili with Corn Pudding

This Golden Fork Award is coming in hot and the fans are raving about the beef chipotle chili with corn pudding…

"As a major chili fan who will eat chili any day of the year… I have to say, this chili is FANTASTIC. And the corn pudding was a wonderful side to complement the chili. Going to order this again and feed it to hubby, too!" exclaims Donna B. from North Carolina.

Fans have also been begging for our chili recipe all year! The secret?

We begin with garden fresh vegetables, black beans, and a tomato base. Our extraordinary chefs simmer the chili slowly to accentuate the best that each ingredient has to offer. Its pairing with maple-sweetened corn pudding left us asking, "How did we ever eat chili without it?"

Calories: 330 | Total Fat: 9g | Total Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 16g | Protein: 26g

Best Plant-Based Entrée: Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Just like we would never serve anything on our menu that we wouldn’t serve to our own families, they say you should never eat ingredients that you cannot pronounce…

Well except quinoa… You should eat quinoa!

The Best Plant-Based Entrée goes to the Mediterranean quinoa salad, a plant-based dish packing in protein, fiber, phytochemicals, and flavor!

Calories: 380 | Total Fat: 12g | Total Carbs: 52g | Fiber: 12g | Protein: 16g

Best New Entrée: Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Bacon. Cheeseburger. Fries. Need we say more?

We transformed your favorite comfort foods into one drool-worthy, healthy dish this year. The bacon cheeseburger meatloaf became an instant hit in 2018 once it made its anticipated debut!

Our tender meatloaf is prepared with beef, quinoa and cheddar cheese, topped with a smoky tomato bacon jam, and paired with broccoli, cauliflower, and yucca fries on the side.

Calories: 350 | Total Fat: 13g | Total Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 26g

Best New Snack: Dark Chocolate Coconut Bar

The dark chocolate coconut bar is everything you all wanted from a snack and is hear to stay!

What’s more, all of our grass-fed whey protein bars are like none other. Crafted with gluten-free oats, nut butter, and honey while being completely hormone and soy free (and none of that notorious protein after-taste)!

But out of all the new flavors, it was the decadent flavor of the dark chocolate coconut that stole everyone’s hearts in 2018. Truly, this delectable bar is everything you all wanted from a snack and is here to stay!

Calories: 230 | Total Fat: 9g | Total Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 3g | Protein: 15g

Snack of the Year: Parmesan Italiano Chips

Amidst those snack attacks, the Snack of the Year made sure to keep that chip off your shoulder all year!

(Yes, we admit we are as cheesy as our chips…)

We, too, had an Italian love affair with these Parmesan-dusted protein chips in 2018. Besides, they are perfectly portioned so you can satisfy those chip cravings without an ounce of ounce of guilt. Now that’s amore!

Calories: 120 | Total Fat: 2.5g | Total Carbs: 15g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 12g

Meal of the Year: Lasagna with Garden Marinara

We may have not agreed on a lot one things in 2018, but one thing we can all support is that the lasagna with garden marina dish deserves to take home the Golden Fork!

Because pasta never goes out of style, we were determined to make a pasta dish that fits into a balanced lifestyle. Our three-cheese lasagna is loaded with both veggies and seasoned ground chicken to supply the nutrients your body needs and the flavors you crave.

Oh, and might we add the pasta dish is low-carb, diabetic-friendly, and all under 400 calories… Can we get a standing ovation?!

Calories: 360 | Total Fat: 14g | Total Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 6g | Protein: 29g